1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microbubble generating device for generating microbubbles having diameters of approximately 1 μm to 50 μm, and relates to a hair washing device utilizing the microbubble generating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2003-265938, a microbubble generating device sucks water in a bathtub using a pump. Thereafter, using a compressor, the device presses air into water which is transported under pressure by the pump. Accordingly, a mixed liquid, in which water and the air are mixed together, is made. Then, the microbubble generating device introduces the mixed liquid into a gas dissolving device to make dissolving water from which excess air is expelled. Subsequently, the microbubble generating device discharges the dissolving water through a nozzle into, for example, the bathtub. Thereby, the dissolved gas is caused to appear as fine bubbles.
In Japanese Registered Utility Model Publication No. 2516695, a hair washing device for washing the human hair has a constitution in which a shower is sprayed from a nozzle into a watertight base configured to cover the head, and in which shampoo liquid is used.
The gas dissolving device of the microbubble generating device has a closed vessel. The closed vessel has a partition plate extending from a lower portion thereof to the vicinity of an upper end thereof. Thereby, the inside of the vessel is divided into a first agitating and mixing passage and a second agitating and mixing passage. In the gas dissolving device, mixed water made by mixing water and air together is drawn in the first agitating and mixing passage through an inflow port provided in a lower portion thereof, passes over the partition plate to flow into the second agitating and mixing passage, and flows out through an outflow port provided in a lower portion of the second agitating and mixing passage. In order to exhaust excess air in the mixed water, an air vent valve is provided in an upper portion of the vessel.
In the above-described constitution, dissolving water, in which air is dissolved in water, can be made. In this event, a relatively fast water stream is formed in the vessel. Specifically, the water stream rises from the inflow port within the first agitating and mixing passage, passes over the partition plate, falls within the second agitating and mixing passage, and reaches the outflow port in the lower portion. As a result, there are cases where the dissolving water is exhausted through the outflow port in a state in which excess air remains in the dissolving water, or in which fine bubbles carried by the flow of water remain contained therein.
Accordingly, when the dissolving water is discharged through the nozzle to generate fine microbubbles, bubbles, which have very large diameters compared to the microbubbles, are generated in some cases. For this reason, a further improvement has been desired in maintaining the diameters of fine microbubbles uniform.
In the hair washing device, a shower is merely sprayed on the head, and therefore has a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently wash, for example, the scalp.